It was a surprise development for the chairman as another key UML leader, KP Sharma Oli, with whom Khanal had forged an alliance before preparing the proposal, and some other leaders close to him, demanded that the chairman bring the intra-party unity proposal after the review.[break]
With the unexpected development, Khanal will have to amend his proposal by incorporating the views aired at the Friday’s meeting and table it at the next meeting scheduled for December 30.
According to leaders present at the meeting, former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Oli, Vice-chairperson Bidya Devi Bhandari and General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel in the 11-member committee strongly emphasized the need for review while others, including party Secretary Shankar Pokharel, stood in favor of incorporating the review in the proposal.
“Intra-party unity has become essential but we can do it only on the basis of the review,” Pokharel told Republica. “Also, we need to be clear about the party’s future course.” He said that the chairman in his proposal has talked much about ideal concepts.
According to a participant, Nepal argued that the review of the past would help make efforts aimed at intra-party unity more concrete and meaningful.
Oli suggested that the party should not backtrack from the intra-party electoral system adopted during the last general convention of the party.
“We can’t revert from the democratic practice,” a leader quoted Oli as saying. He said so in response to the proposal that seeks an end to the practice of panel-wise election in the next general convention.
Leaders said Khanal at the meeting proposed verbally to give Oli the third position in the party’s hierarchy. They said the meeting is most likely to endorse the proposal as none of the standing committee member has stood against the idea.
Khanal, however, didn’t make any announcement about inducting Oli, Bamdev Gautam and Amrit Bohara as members into the Constituent Assembly (CA) under proportional representation.
Leaders privy to the development expect that the proposal may come in an opportune time in near future.
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